Customer Reviews

Odd & Outrageous [VHS]

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The content of KINO's ODD & OUTRAGEOUS is superior HiFi and SP mode transfers of finely-preserved vintage animation. The Technicolor shorts in particular, although not as stylish as their more crude predecessors are of exceptional condition.

Included are such Van Beuren regulars as The Little King, the vocalizing duet of Tom and Jerry, Molly Moo Cow, Cubby Bear (an early rival of Mickey Mouse) and Felix the Cat. Conspicuously missing is Farmer Al Falfa.

One of the Tom and Jerrys contains offensive material: a dialect-singing quartet of big lipped black skeletons. For the most part though, this material is fairly innocent. The early b&w 'toons have the surrealism of Fleischer's work from the same years, but not their polish and fluidity, while the Technicolor stuff is smoothly animated but lacks pizzazz and is clearly aimed at children.

"Odd & Outrageous" is a nice collection from an under-appreciated animation studio and a fine addition to any home cartoon library.


Also from KINO:
FREE FORM FAIRY TALES contains ten stylish Ub Iwerks shorts.


CONTENTS--
OPENING NIGHT (1933) - At the opera house, Cubby Bear conducts an energetic version of "Faust."

IN A CARTOON STUDIO (aka "Making 'Em Move") (1931) - Surreal toon shows how animation works. Later animals attend a stick figure cartoon movie.

CANDY TOWN (1932) - Boy & girl cat sicken from eating tons of candy on the moon and get chased by a castor oil bottle.

THE SUNSHINE MAKERS (1935) - A potion brewed by gnomes magically affects those who ingest it. (Sponsored by Borden's)

PIANO TOONERS (1932) - Tom and Jerry's musical adventures at an opera house include meeting a fat diva and a flapper.

MOLLY MOO COW AND RIP VAN WINKLE (1935) - Irving's fictional character is seen only briefly in this Technicolor short.

WOT A NIGHT (1931) - Mutt & Jeff-ish Tom and Jerry encounter various goblins, including a singing quartet of Nègro skeletons.

NEPTUNE NONSENSE (1936) - Felix the Cat and his fishing pole are pulled to the sea bottom by a swordfish.

CHRISTMAS NIGHT ("Pals") (1933) - The Little King sees two homeless men looking at a holiday display store window. He sneaks them into his castle, where the three bathe together, then sleep in the same bed.

TOONERVILLE PICNIC (1936) - A restful day at the beach turns into an ordeal for grumpy Mr. Bang.